Gripping cup to retain a conductor in a connector



Jan. 30, 1962 1. F. MATTHYSSE 3,019,284 GRIPPING CUP TO RETAIN A CONDUCTOR IN A CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 29, 1959 I IN VEN TOR. few/v; E 47V'HYSSE United States Patent Ofiice 3,019,284 Patented Jan. 30,1962

This invention relatesto connectors having tubular I bodies that may be. used tozgsplice wires .or cables, and more particularly to electrical connectors .of the type. that are indented andlockedto the wire.

These connectors generally comprise a malleablemetal tube into each end of which is disposed a wire end to be connected. After the wire is disposed in the tube, a crimping tool is applied to the assembly to compress the connector into the wire, locking the wire therein.

A difiiculty often arises in retaining the wire in the connector before and during the crimping operation. This may occur when the crimping is made by a tool which requires two hands in its operation. A third hand to hold the wire, while desirable, is frequently not available. Similarly, a crimp may be made at a distance from the operator by means of a long handled tool, which will not permit him to concurrently hold the wire in the connector.

Thus, a need arises for a means which will retain the wire or Wires in a connector independently of the operator. It is desirable that both bare and insulated wires be capable of being retained, and that a wide range of conductor and/or insulation sizes be accommodated.

An object of this invention is to provide a means for retaining a wire in a connector, especially before and during a crimping operation.

Another object is to provide a means for retaining wires of different diameters within a tubular connector.

A feature of the invention is a radially slotted closure or cup which will grasp and retain the wire in the connector during crimping.

Another feature of the invention is the provision in a radially slotted closure or cup of tabs of varying lengths which will grasp and retain wires of different diameters.

These and other objects and features of this invention will become more apparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the gripping cup of one embodiment of this invention; 1

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the gripping cup of another embodiment of this invention; f

FIG. 3 is an elevation in cross-section taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

The;sm ooth. edges 17 of the tabs of FIG. 1 may be d: o-sra ai sul t qm A. jagged edge, as at 218, is provided in the gripping cup-201 illustrated in FIG. 2 to grasp bare wire.

Thegripping cup may be formed with a side wall 20 da s andi lip 2.

Theinsulated connector shown in FIG. 4. consists of a malleable, metal; barrel 401having a wire stop 402 and a circumferential; groove 403.; The wire stop serves to limitthe depth of insertion of thewire into the connector.

, External and coaxial with the barrelis a dielectric sleeve FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an insulated connector including a gripping cup of this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an uninsulated connector including a gripping cup of this invention.

In the drawings, reference character 1 designates generally the gripping cup of this invention which has a series of slits, as at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 radiating from a center hole 8. The center hole is of irregular shape having radii of various lengths, as at 9 and 10, producing a series of tabs 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 of different lengths. In the cup, illustrated in FIG. 1, two groups of tabs are shown; 11, 13, and 15 being longer than 12, 14, and 16. The ends of the tabs, as at 17, may be arcuate or straight. When a wire is disposed through the gripping cup, as will be hereinafter described, tabs 12, 1

14, and 16 grasp wires of relatively small diameters, while 7 tabs 11, 12, and 13 grasp and retain wires of'relatively large diameters.

404 which extends beyond. the, barrel -as at 405; An internal bead 406'is molded integral with the sleeve which is accommodated by the groove 403 and serves to align and interlock the barrel and sleeve. A bead 407 may be molded on the sleeve exterior, to interlock with a groove 408 which is molded into the interior of an end cap 409 having an orifice 410 through which a wire may be disposed. The gripping cup 1 is inserted in the connector between the sleeve and the end cap as shown so that the lip 21 is captured between the end of sleeve 404 and the cap 409 and is held in place.

When a wire 410 is disposed through the end cap and gripping cup, the tabs are deformed and dig into the insulation (411), preventing subsequent pulling out of the wire. Any tendency of the wire to pull out causes the tabs to dig in deeper' The gripping cup will retain the wire provided that a set of tabs is depressed at an angle to the wire and digs into the wires to some extent. If the tabs are bent so far as to be substantially parallel to the surface of the wires and do not dig into them, the wires will not be retained. Providing tabs of diflerent lengths affords at least one set of tabs to be bent to a suitable angle to adequately grasp the wire when dealing with a range of wire sizes. After the wire has been inserted into the connector, the connector is crimped through the sleeve and barrel to the wire, as at 412, 413, and 414 by means of a crimping tool.

Thus, the operator need only dispose the wire into the connector where it will be retained by the gripping cup, permitting the operator to utilize his two available hands to operate the crimping tool.

A noninsulated connector is illustrated in FIG. 5 which consists of a malleable metal barrel 501 having a wire stop 502. A gripping cup 201, preferably of the type illustrated in FIG. 2, is disposed in each end of the barrel, and fastened by any suitable means, such as staking. When the wire 503 isdisposed into the barrel 501, the tabs of the gripping cup are bent and the jagged edges tend to dig into the wire. Any tendency of the wire to pull out of the connector causes the teeth of the tabs to. dig even deeper into the wire. The assembly of the connector is similar to that described previously.

The gripping cup may be formed by any convenient method, such as stamping, out of any material having some spring-like characteristics, suchas, sheet metal. The edge of the tab may be made harder than the wire or insulation into which it is to dig.

The invention has thus been described, but it is desired to be understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or usages shown and described. The same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore, the right is broadly claimed to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope 'of the appendant claims and by means of which objects of this invention are attained and new resultsaccomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to obtain these objects 7 and accomplish these results. 7 3

3 I claim: 1. A connector comprising: a malleable metal barrel; a dielectric sleeve external and coaxial therewith and having ends thereof extending beyond the ends of said barrel; an end cap disposed on each end of said sleeve; a tubular insert disposed in at least one of the portions of said sleeve which extends beyond said barrel end; said insert having an end remote from said barrel end which includes an upstanding lip, said lip being disposed between the end of said sleeve and said cap; said insert having an end proximal to said barrel end which includes a radially slit closure which includes a center hole from which slits radiate to form resilient tabs in said closure; said tabs being adapted to grip and retain a conductor thrust freely into said barrel.

2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the free ends of said tabs are formed with a jagged edge.

3. A connector according to claim 1, wherein said center hole is formed of difierent radii, whereby said tabs are given different lengths.'

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Insulink, published in Electric Light and Power, June 15, 1959, page 23. 

